All posts filed under: Mughalai cuisine

I’ll always be a fan of a really good veggie burger but when it’s hot outside and I’m feeling too lazy to cook, lettuce wraps with something a little bit different inside are the like a dream. I love using lettuce to wrap up spicy noodles, quinoa salad, tandoori tofu and these totally delicious Dhai Ke Kebabs. These kebabs are made with thick, creamy yogurt that’s been hung for 24 hours, paneer, fresh mint, coriander, ginger and chilli – hardly health food but when a lettuce-wrapped kebab with crunchy veggies and sweet onion sauce tastes this fresh, you won’t care. I promise. The Dhai Ke Kebabs themselves have a golden, crunchy exterior from a combination of breadcrumbs and semolina – the audible ‘crunch’ when you bite into it is SO satisfying. The inside is soft, surprisingly light and lemony with the freshness of mint, coriander and a touch of ginger. The delicate combo of flavours will dance on your palate as if you were partaking in a groom’s dhol procession at an Indian wedding, midsummer. …

Saffron and Lemon Shrikhand Doughnuts – a recipe for my new Food Network UK chef page – they’re perfect for finishing off a grandiose banquet. After a good few weeks of cooking deliciously rich and decadent dinners (it’s been hell having to eat them all by myself, I tell you), I’m finally ready to compile a menu of the best Mughlai-inspired dishes from KO Rasoi. The aim of the game was to put together something truly majestic – something which will leave your guests speechless (partly because their mouths will be preoccupied devouring the meal). Mughlai cuisine is one of my new favourites, with its use of only the most aromatic spices, flowers and nuts. Indeed, it’s no wonder it was reserved for only kings and queens of the Mughal Empire. Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra By now you must know how I love contrasting flavours and textures, and if you do too, you need to try this. Juicy okra stuffed with homemade paneer which has been spiked with golden sultanas and heady fennel. …

The final recipe required to create the most divine Mughlai banquet is this recipe for Peshawari Naan; a soft and fruity coconut-flavoured bread to mop up a variety of sumptuous sauces. Naan is one of India’s most famous breads, and probably the most well-known Indian bread in British restaurants. Whether it’s flavoured with chilli, garlic and coriander or sultanas and coconut, you can be sure that a good naan will be soft, slightly chewy, a little charred in places and finally, drenched in butter. Can I share one of my pet peeves with you? The term ‘naan bread’. Want to know why? Naan means ‘bread’, so saying ‘naan bread’ is about as useful as saying, ‘bread bread’. My point being that by simply saying ‘naan’, the bread part is implied. You wouldn’t say ‘kuchen cake’ would you? Sultanas and coconut are very traditional ingredients in Peshawari Naan, which can be stuffed with a sweet filling and cooked in a super hot tandoor (clay oven). Simply stick them to the side of the oven walls and …

Whether you wanted to or not, yesterday, you all probably caught a glimpse of the Royal Wedding and that dress. It was on almost every single Sky channel imaginable and there’s no denying the amazing pageantry that was going on. For me, the real stars were those gorgeous fairytale horses pulling the carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace – how cute were they?! The past few blogging weeks have been spent exploring beautiful Mughlai cuisine for the main purpose of putting together a royal-inspired menu. Being entirely honest, after this recipe for Creamy Pistachio and Cauliflower Curry, there are one or two more important recipes I need to add before the menu is complete. If there’s one thing the Mughals did beautifully, it was their impeccable sauces; and truthfully, the secret to a great curry is a great sauce. If you’re just as much into luscious sauces as I am, then this pistachio and almond dish is just for you. I’ve laced it with whole black peppercorns which soften in the simmered sauce …

The past few days have been spent planning an elaborate baking mission composed of sweet treats to make your heart cry out for a detox – though I’m not yet ready for said detox. In honour of all things royal wedding, I’m creating a banquet fit for kings and queens. Our party spread will be formed of rich, sweet and spicy dishes for us to present to our family and guests so they can ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’ over it while we take all the credit for such an extravagant and mouth watering menu. Biryani is a bit like a newborn kitten – except you don’t cook nor eat newborn kittens. It requires heaps of concentration, patience and love. Each individual component needs to be prepared to just the right level before the ingredients can be assembled in a harmonious fashion, and then gently steamed to create an insanely delicious smelling and tasting dish to fight over at the dinner table. Swollen soaked saffron strands In the last post we discussed the origins of …

Coconut, dried fruits, nuts and rich spices are what make exotic Shahi cuisine fit for royalty – and for you and I. Dishes created in imperial kitchens during the rise of the Mughal Empire (in the heart of northern India and on the now India-Pakistan border) echoed the deeply aromatic flavours of Persia. The Mughals, known for their extravagance and majestic style, were no different to their eating habits. Rich sauces made with ground nuts, kebabs, koftas and kormas are some of the most delicious and popular bites to come from this era. My recipe for Shahi Paneer Stuffed Okra is not a traditional Mughlai dish – it’s entirely my own creation cooked up during a 2am food fantasy. I’ve taken my inspiration from the delicious Shahi cuisine I love to indulge in a little too often. By now you must know how I love contrasting flavours and textures, and if you do too, you need to try this. Juicy okra stuffed with homemade paneer which has been spiked with golden …

4 days agoby sanjanamodhaThis Melt-in-the-Mouth Burnt Aubergine and Spinach Curry is my most popular recipe to date. It’s the one I get the most emails, comments and messages about and it lights up my heart to read about how much you love it. I love it too. I live and breathe Gujarati food. Simple vegetarian dishes we’d eat every night when I was young are what have inspired my love of cooking today. Oroh was one of those dishes mum would cook as a midweek dinner after our evening swim at our local leisure centre. Oroh is simply a name for smoky aubergine

4 days agoby sanjanamodhaSimple three lentil daal (urad daal, moong daal and tuver daal) with lots of ginger, chillies, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Tomatoes and salt to balance out the flavours, Gujarati style. These lentils are widely available in all good supermarkets and Indian grocers. Served with roasted butternut squash rotli. I added mashed roasted squash, toasted cumin and a handful of other spices to my usual chapatti flour and kneaded to make a smooth dough. They were then rolled and cooked on a steel plate until golden. SWIPE LEFT FOR THE DAAL INGREDIENTS . . . #daal#indianfood#foodblogger#indian#butternutsquash

5 days agoby sanjanamodhaMost of you will already know that the only reason I get out of bed on a non-work day is to eat a great breakfast. My favourites include Masala Poori with Potato Curry and Sweet Semolina, as well as Stuffed Paratha or Thepla and Chai. When I’m seeking to start my day with something a little sweeter, I always look to my sweet spice tin. It’s a box dedicated to the spices I use less often in making savoury dishes and one of the best things in my kitchen. Inside, you’ll find whole cardamom, red saffron threads in a little

5 days agoby sanjanamodhaSprouted Mung Bean Breakfast Noodles are my go-to healthy Indian breakfast As much as I live for stuffed paratha, these spiced noodles pack the punch I crave on a chilly morning, without all the ghee. The stir-fried vermicelli noodles are tossed with sprouted mung beans, crackled mustard seeds, curry leaves, chillies and turmeric for a flavoursome breakfast number you’ll cook again and again. Transform it into a filling lunch or dinner with the addition of pan-fried tofu. SWIPE LEFT FOR THE INGREDIENTS. Recipe is on the blog . . . #f52grams#heresmyfood#vegansofig#huffposttaste#breakfast#vegansofig#veganrecipes#noodles#vegannoodles#thecookfeed